Another chapter has been written in Rep. Connie Mack's devolution from a lackluster congressman into a sneering, whining toadstool of a Senate candidate, and it's a stupid one. It started, more or less, back in April, when Mack's father, former Sen. Connie Mack III, wrote a letter to the Tampa Bay Times whining about how his son was so great and why are they being so mean.
Mack's campaign manager followed up over the weekend with a letter of his own to the Times about how rotten it was that the newspaper's editorial board endorsed Mack's Republican primary opponent instead of him, and then yesterday Mack himself penned a letter basically calling Barack Obama an asshole.
Phew. Now that you're all caught up, let's see what he said about the Times yesterday.
"We know that they're a mouthpiece for the liberals in this state," Mack said, grasping Times Political Editor Adam Smith on the shoulder, because he was right next to him in some hallway with a bunch of other reporters.
Mack then said he knew Republicans had to run against Democrats, but "you also have to run against the liberal press, standing to my right." That's when he grabbed Smith's shoulder a second time.
And how did Mack respond when Smith tried to ask him a question?
"When you decide you want to be a real journalist," Mack said. "I'd be happy to talk to you."
Smith asked Mack what specifically he objected to that the Times wrote; according to Politico, Mack didn't answer.
Smith again followed up as Mack was getting into his car, asking about why there are charges in his campaign finance documents for Brooks Brothers clothing.
"When you become a legitimate reporter...," Mack said, slamming the door. What a convenient out.
Mack didn't give an answer to the question about the Times because he doesn't have one -- neither Mack nor his dad nor his campaign manager could articulate any specific objections to the reporting in the Times; they just say "Oh man, you're a liberal rag" and call it a day. It's the same problem Mack had in his letter to Obama, his "plan" to cut the federal deficit, and his move to fix the health-care problem by maintaining the health-care problem: He'll give the bullet points, but when it comes to specifics, he just drives away.
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